COMMON LAPLAND LONGSPUR 1599 



10 days later saw four males feeding in a sedge-covered flat. T. H. 

 Manning et al. (1950) were present on Banks Island (De Salis Bay) 

 in 1952 when the first longspurs arrived on May 29, when three were 

 seen. The next day they counted 115 in 7% hours, mostly in flocks 

 of 25. Males outnumbered females on that date and on May 31, 

 but on June 1 the sexes were about equally represented. In 1953 

 the first longspur (a male) was seen at Sachs Harbor on May 19, 

 and one was heard at Cape Kellett on May 21. Their numbers 

 increased thereafter, and most of the birds seen up until May 20 

 were males. The migration was essentially over by June 3, at which 

 time the birds were seen in pairs. Manning and Macpherson (1901) 

 first observed longspurs on Prince of Wales Island on June 14, and 

 remarked that the late date of arrival was likely due to the late thaw 

 on the northern part of the mainland barrens. The males out- 

 numbered the females by 4 to 1 for 3 or 4 days. 



The severe climatic conditions arriving longspurs frequently meet 

 throughout their range is well-described by Sutton (1932) from 

 observations on Southampton Island: 



On May 20, 1930, during a snow-storm, which eventually developed into one 

 of the worst blizzards I ever experienced, I saw and collected a male Lapland 

 Longspur at Itiujuak. The bird was associating with a large flock of Snow 

 Buntings, practically all of which were males. It was fat. The gonads were 

 much enlarged. The stomach and crop held particles of vegetable food and some 

 bits of quartz crystal, but food had evidently been difficult to find. I noted 

 the brightness of the yellow bill, the base and culmen of which had a slight greenish 

 cast. I looked carefully for other longspurs in this flock of buntings, but saw 

 none. 



On May 27 an adult male was seen perched on the very edge of the ice, perhaps 

 six miles from land, at the floe west of Native Point. We heard one (perhaps 

 the same individual) from our tent on May 28. On the following day a male 

 was seen at the Post, feeding with the Snow Buntings during a wind-storm. 

 This bird was very weak, probably from starvation, and I nearly caught it in my 

 hands. During the midst of the storm it flew upward, was caught in a blast of 

 wind, was hurled southward, and did not return. 



On May 30 I collected a specimen from a flock composed of five longspurs 

 and a few Snow Buntings. All these birds were males. On May 31 a male 

 longspur was seen at the Roman Catholic Mission and another at the Factor's 

 dwelling. 



On June 1 large, loose flocks, entirely composed of males, assembled on the 

 bam ground about three miles north of the Post. There must have been two 

 hundred birds in all. I collected seven. The gonads of all were considerably 

 enlarged; and all were fat, but their gizzards were not full of food. The birds 

 worked their way through the short grass diligently, walking for a time, then 

 stopping to look round, only to continue their search. When they came to the 

 edge of a bare patch, they usually flew over the snow to the next bit of open 

 ground. In some places the tundra had many snowless patches, and here with 

 almost mathematical precision each such patch of open ground harbored its 

 single longspur, which searched carefully over all its chosen space, not neglecting 

 the shadowy spots at the edge of the snow. 



